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Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and the Texas Rangers team score Silver Slugger awards

This season has been a special one for the Texas Rangers both individually as well as for the team.

By West Jones |
Oct 30, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) celebrates with second
Oct 30, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) celebrates with second / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Last night, the Silver Slugger awards were revealed, and the Texas Rangers yet again have some serious hardware coming back to Arlington. Not only did Corey Seager and Marcus Semien take the award for shortstop and second base in the American League (AL) respectively, but the entire team won a new award. For the very first time, there was a team Silver Slugger awarded in each league and the AL winner was the Texas Rangers.

Texas Rangers win first ever team Silver Slugger in the American League

This year's Rangers team put up some impressive overall numbers that led to the award. The 881 runs scored was the most in the AL for 2023 and is also the sixth most in franchise history. What might be even more impressive is the increase in run production over the last three seasons. In 2022 the Rangers scored 707 runs and in 2021 the team only plated 625 runs.

Power wasn't a problem for the Rangers this season as they belted 233 home runs, which tied them with the Minnesota Twins for tops in the AL. Additionally, the team led all three categories of the slash line with a .263 batting average, .337 on-base percentage, and a .452 slugging percentage. Texas had the sixth lowest K% in the AL at 22.5% and had the second highest BB% at 9.5%. The Rangers 114 wRC+ trailed only the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL.

Corey Seager mashed his way to Silver Slugger

When Seager came to the Rangers this season is what everyone dreamed of. A start in the All-Star game, a finalist in the MVP race, a finalist for Gold Glove, now a Silver Slugger, and of course the World Series victory and World Series MVP. Goodness, that is quite a historic season! And he did all of this even though he had to miss nearly six weeks of the season due to injuries.

This Silver Slugger is Seager's third, but his first since 2017. He also won the award his Rookie of the Year season of 2016. Seager's stats this year were amazing. His slash line of .327/.390/.623 is obviously impressive. Within the 119 games that Seager was able to play he had the most doubles in the AL with 42, smashed 33 home runs, scored 88 runs, drove in 96, and had a robust 170 OPS+. Seager is a different kind of player, and we should all be glad he is on the Rangers team.

Modern day iron man Marcus Semien claims Silver Slugger

Marcus Semien shows up to work each and every day, and each and every day he is in the starting lineup, leading off and playing second base. That was the case this entire season, as he didn't miss a single game. Because of that, Semien was able to lead all of MLB with the most plate appearances at 753 and most at bats with 670. Those numbers are just in the regular season and don't even reflect the month-long playoff run.

This Silver Slugger is the second of Semien's career. He also won the award with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. This year Semien had a hitting line of .276/.348/.478, hit 40 doubles, 29 home runs, drove in 100 runs, had an OPS+ of 122, and led the AL in both runs scored with 122 and hits with 185. His season has landed him as a MVP finalist along with Seager. Semien also started the All-Star game and was a Gold Glove finalist as well. It is clear that the Rangers middle infield delivered in a huge way in 2023.

The exciting thing about not only Seager and Semien, but the entire Rangers offense, is that most of it will be coming back next season and will have a chance to be just as good or even better. But regardless of what happens next year, the 2023 Texas Rangers and their leaders are Silver Sluggers.

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